October 2019: Some fall US Tour pics, gear rundown and other stuff 🇺🇸🎹🎺🎸♯♭🎶

Maysa and I backstage at the Birchmere AGAIN - That's in no way a complaint!!!

Bluey at John Lyman Centre, New Haven Connecticut 🎸🇺🇸

Vanessa Haynes at John Lyman Centre, New Haven Connecticut 🇺🇸

Francisco Sales at John Lyman Centre, New Haven Connecticut 🎸🇺🇸

Your's truly at John Lyman Centre, New Haven Connecticut 🎸🇺🇸

Joao Caetano at John Lyman Centre, New Haven Connecticut 🇺🇸

Francesco Mendolia at John Lyman Centre, New Haven Connecticut 🇺🇸

No wireless rig this time, it'd be nice to be able to tour with more gear more often if shipping and weight wasn't such an issue. In both the run up and for the duration of the US tour I've had the most incredible support from Darryl Anders from Jim Dunlop/MXR, he made sure that I had the Dyna Comp (that I wanted for the Vintage Bass Octave) and the absolutely rocking MXR mini Iso-Brick before I left the UK and they did the business exactly as I'd hoped for. Many thanks to Darryl! The GRBass Pure Drive DI has also been so handy on the road, I've spoken about it a fair bit here already but I can colour the signal just a touch to give my signal some real bite or, if necessary, to pull back on a touch of upper mids. Not much need for the drive section in this band so that stays off of course, but a cool pedal that I think I'd feel naked without at the moment.

I had the Dyna Comp following the VBO. I spoke to Darryl about this before the tour: I rarely use compression on stage (I use it in the studio all the time) as I'd rather hear the amp response without out pumping and because it's mostly used as in dynamic insert effect 100% 'wet,' and it can be tricky setting up parallel compression for bass in a live environment I find. The Dyna Comp is effectively a parallel compressor but I only actually used it in conjunction with the VBO. The idea is that I play quite lightly for a consistent attack (I have the VBO in classic OC2 Octave 1 full-up mode) and then the Dyna Comp has some slow release compression mixed in just enough to give the VBO this killer sustain (I know, Spinal Tap!) so the bass kind of hits you in the chest and stays there... In a good way!

Jim Dunlop Cry Baby Mini Bass Wah

Wizzkid! The MXR Mini Iso-Brick power supply is small but knows exactly what to do, plus it has an 18V socket too and fits in your handbag's handbag! You can chain them together too, if you have more than one.

The first night's Pure Drive settings. After the first night we had the EQ pretty much flat for the rest of the tour. There was a bit of harshness in the room and I could feel some on stage too, so I just pulled back on some upper mid frequency and added a little high end, then we were good to go. I had a lot more plugging in to do on this tour than normal (yes I do it most of the time!) but it was worth it for the bass sounding heavy every night, or so I was told! I didn't use a pedalboard for this tour but I'm thinking about a lightweight way of having one for this set up... 🤔

Always lovely to catch up with Charlise Rookwood in New York. Posing of course! Don't forget to buy the new Incognito album Tomorrow's New Dream, out November 8th!

My man Steven 'Lucky' Benson 📸and brother Najee filled me in on some old school New York Hip Hop history on this trip, they were both there (I was in Harrow!) when it was all happening in the early eighties and listening to them both talk about those days was incredible. Najee 🎷 played on a bunch of early Hip Hop records for artists such as Kurtis Blow.

w/Steven and Joy in the rain by 42nd Street, NYC

I'm only smiling because of the great memories I have of this place, BB King Bar and Grill has been shut for some time now, funny to see no names on the board but everything must change I guess!

Should have got a better pic with Najee!

More from New Haven, pic this time by Vidalay Gallois

Pic by Vidalay Gallois

Pic by Vidalay Gallois

Rare photo of Tony Momrelle, Matt Cooper and I, sorry but I can't trace who took the photo, message me if it was you! Tony was in Atlanta and jumped up with us at the end of the show. Tony is still amazing!

Bass hero Gary Grainger hooked me up with guitar hero Paul Reed Smith of PRS Guitars! Paul totally freaked me out by calling out my hometown just from the sound of my messed up voice! Actually Paul has been in bands with singer Paul Hogg who is from Wembley originally, about two miles from my family home for 35 years! Paul very kindly brought down Gary's signature 5 string bass, the Gary Grainger V for me to try, a very special instrument (see below.) I had a nice time chatting with Paul, the love he has for his craft is obvious from speaking with him. He funny too!

Confused?

Gary Grainger V

Yerko Sepulveda, or Mr Backbeat is pointing at you

Had to be done! Back to People's Records in Detroit

I swear Kenny is following me around!

Sleeveless 7"s galore in these boxes, trust me!

Atelier Z in the house at the Cobb Energy Centre, Atlanta GA

Keswick Theater PA

w/brother Master Gee from the Sugarhill Gang. He's super busy right now, he made it down on his night off to our show at the Birchmere, next night he was live on the Jimmy Kimmel show! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

Post last show at the Keswick Theater. This tour went very quickly! Great to have Deborah Bond with us again, she, Maysa, Joy and Vanessa all sang their you know what's off FH